No technology works perfectly forever. Hard drives are no exception, and when they fail, they take important files with them. Fortunately, there are a number of free tools that can predict drive failures before they happen, giving you time to back up your data and replace the drive.
6. Windows has built-in tools to check hard drive health
Before downloading third-party software, check out what Windows already offers. CHKDSK is still the simplest tool for scanning for drive errors. Open a Command Prompt with admin rights and type chkdsk C: /f /r to scan your primary drive. The /f flag automatically fixes errors, while /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. Fair warning, this process can take a while, especially on larger drives.
Windows also includes SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) monitoring. You can also use Event Viewer to troubleshoot Windows problems related to your hard drive. Open Event Viewer and navigate to Windows Logs > System and filter for Disk events . Look for warning messages about the drive's health — these messages often appear days or weeks before the drive fails completely.
For more detailed monitoring, Windows Performance Monitor tracks drive performance metrics in real time.
Storage Spaces in Windows groups multiple drives together and automatically monitors their health. This feature requires setup through Settings > System > Storage > Manage Storage Spaces under Advanced storage settings. Once configured, it will notify you when drives are showing signs of failure and can maintain data redundancy on healthy drives.
These built-in tools work well for basic monitoring, but they lack the detailed status reports that dedicated software provides.
CrystalDiskInfo stands out as the most user-friendly drive monitoring tool available. Its clean interface shows everything you need at a glance.
The color-coding system makes it easy to assess drive health. Blue means excellent, green indicates good, yellow warns of a problem, orange indicates failure, and red indicates immediate replacement. The status colors are a bit like traffic lights.
Pay attention to key SMART attributes like reallocated sectors, currently pending sectors, and uncorrectable errors. Increasing numbers in these categories often predict impending failure, sometimes weeks before the drive actually fails.
CrystalDiskInfo can send email notifications when drive status changes. Enable this feature via Function > Alert Features > Mail Settings to stay updated even when you're away from your computer.
Don't rely solely on the indicators, however. Some drives fail without warning despite being otherwise healthy, while others continue to operate years after a yellow alert appears. Use CrystalDiskInfo as part of a broader monitoring strategy, not as the sole defense against data loss.
4. HWiNFO
This tool takes hardware monitoring to the next level, and drive health is just one of its key features. It overwhelms beginners with information. While CrystalDiskInfo displays the essentials, HWiNFO displays every conceivable hardware metric.
After installing HWiNFO, navigate to the Drives section to find detailed SMART data along with temperature readings and performance statistics. HWiNFO can log drive metrics over time and generate detailed reports that show gradual degradation patterns. This historical data is useful for spotting trends that moment-to-moment snapshots might miss.
3. HDDScan
HDDScan takes a different approach, focusing on proactive testing rather than passive monitoring. It performs surface scans and stress tests. These proactive tests can detect issues that don't show up in standard health reports, especially the development of bad sectors or inconsistent read speeds.
This tool works with virtually any storage device you can connect to your computer. Whether you have an HDD or SSD , a USB flash drive, an SD card, or even network-attached storage, it’s all within its testing range.
The interface is dated but useful. You just select your drive, choose a test type, and let it run. It offers several test types, each serving different purposes. Surface scans methodically test each sector, while read verification tests measure access times across the entire drive.
This tool balances simplicity and detail as it focuses on the drive's lifespan rather than just its current health status. It displays real-time temperature monitoring, prominently displayed alongside the health percentage.
The interface displays important information at a glance: Drive temperature, total hours of operation, and a percentage-based health score. Unlike some other tools that simply report “good” or “bad,” HDDLife attempts to predict the remaining life of the drive based on usage patterns and SMART attribute analysis.
This tool is also a middle ground between simplicity and technical depth, and is one of the recommended ways to check actual drive capacity to ensure you're getting what you paid for.
The main interface keeps things simple with a basic status check that displays “PASSED” or “FAILED” for each connected drive. But it shines in the multi-tab interface. The General tab provides full drive specs, from firmware version to interface speed.
Meanwhile, the Attributes section displays all SMART parameters with current values, thresholds, and predicted failures. The Self-Tests tab allows you to run various diagnostic procedures directly from the interface. Short tests typically complete in a few minutes, while extended tests provide comprehensive drive validation.
See also:
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